How to Remove Iodine From Carpets

You don't have to use a lot of manual labor to get out iodine stains.

When it comes to cleaning a wound, iodine is an effective treatment to kill bacteria. But spilled on your carpet, iodine seems like the ticket to ruin your previously spotless floor. Before you cancel your party plans or start shopping for a rug to cover it up, try some simple ways to help remove the iodine and return your carpet to its pristine glory. The success or failure of this carpet-saving mission, however, is often determined by time, so try not to procrastinate.

1

Blot as much of the spilled iodine as you can with some paper towels. If you see any dried up particles, use a vacuum to clean them up.

2

Pour approximately 1/4 teaspoon of mild liquid dish soap into a small container filled with 1 cup of lukewarm water.

3

Test the cleaning solution on a small section of carpet that is not normally visible. Some carpets react differently to certain cleaning solutions. The last thing you want is to make a stained area look even worse and more noticeable with a bad reaction to the solution.

4

Dip a cloth into the detergent mixture and apply the cloth to the stained area working toward the center of the stain. If you start at the center, then as you apply the detergent outwards, you can move the stain and therefore enlarge the stain area. Allow the detergent at least five minutes to loosen the iodine from the carpet. Blot the stain with a clean, white cloth.

5

Make a paste mixture of water and baking soda and rub the mixture into the stained carpet with your fingers or a cloth. Leave the carpet for five minutes, moisten it with water and blot the stain with a cloth.

6

Prepare a mixture of 1/3 cup white vinegar with 2/3 cup water if the stain is still visible. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the area. Allow the vinegar mixture to work for approximately five minutes and then use a cloth to blot the carpet.

7

Saturate the stain area with some cold water and soak up the water with a paper towel or cloth to remove any residue from the carpet.

Things You Will Need

Paper towels

Vacuum

Container

Dish soap

Lukewarm water

White cloth

Vinegar

Baking soda

Tip

Bleach is a wonderful thing for many cleaning projects but not when it comes to iodine. Using bleach, or even a cleaner that has bleach in it, can actually help the stain set into the carpet.

Heat can also help set the stain into the carpet. If possible, remove any heat from the area. If the sun is beating down on the stain through the window, close the curtains or try covering the area by putting something between the sunlight and the iodine.

About the Author

Eric Jonas has been writing in small-business advertising and local community newsletters since 1998. Prior to his writing career, he became a licensed level II gas technician and continues to work in the field, also authoring educational newsletters for others in the business. Jonas is currently a graduate student with a Bachelor of Arts in English and rhetoric from McMaster University.